There is a lot of competition but few good applications. Most applications are rejected at the first screening because the applicant did not read the details of the call. Erasmus+ youth projects have no standard application format; each call explains how to apply. None of these programmes is hard to get into if you apply properly and show your motivation clearly. Youth Works Hub goes through the mistakes that cost applicants their place, and what to do instead. Our guide on tips for a strong Erasmus+ application covers the other side of the same question, ESC application mistakes covers the European Solidarity Corps, and Erasmus+ opportunities for young people introduces the Erasmus+ youth projects themselves.
Last updated: October 2026.
Why are most Erasmus+ applications rejected at the first screening?
Most applications are rejected at the first screening because the applicant did not read the details of the call. For Youth Exchanges, Volunteering Teams, training courses, seminars and study visits, young people apply to the call itself; the call may ask you to apply directly, or it may name a sending organisation in your country through which you have to apply, so you must read the details of each call. Being active in a youth organisation is important but not required; young people who understand how these projects work and cooperate with local organisations have a clear advantage. Our guide on tips for a strong Erasmus+ application turns each of these points into a step, and what a supporting organisation is explains the sending organisation a call may ask for.
Are you treating every Erasmus+ call the same way?
There is no single registration point for Erasmus+ youth projects: calls are published separately, also on Youth Works Hub, and you apply through each call as it explains. A motivation letter applies to both ESC and Erasmus+ youth projects, but in Erasmus+ youth projects it is rarely asked for; most Erasmus+ calls use an application form instead. An application form asks for the same information as the motivation letter and the CV. When emailing, fill in the subject, a message and a signature, and do not write in capital letters. Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes the steps one by one, and how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the calls are published.
Are your answers on the application form too short?
From the experience of youthworker_eu, about 80% of applicants answer application form questions with replies shorter than the question itself; for example, to "How will you use what you gain after the project?" they write only "in my education", starting with a small letter and without a full sentence. Answers like this lead to rejection: take the time to fill in the form properly, in full sentences. Our guide on tips for a strong Erasmus+ application shows what a full answer looks like, and common selection and interview questions prepares you for the next step.
Are you choosing a project by country instead of topic?
Many applicants look only at the country of the project and apply because the location appeals to them, without looking at the topic and the other details. For Youth Exchanges, a high level of English is usually not needed, but if the topic is technical a better level helps, so read the topic of the project carefully. Our guide on how to choose the right project goes through the choice, and what a Youth Exchange is explains what you would actually be doing.
Did you check the age range in the call?
Organisations must follow the age rules of the Guide fully, but they can narrow the age range within a call, for example 18 to 25 for a Youth Exchange instead of 13 to 30, because project coordinators plan the activity around its aims and the target group. Our guide on Erasmus+ and ESC age limits sets out the programme rules behind that range.
Is your CV in the wrong format?
From the experience of youthworker_eu, Europass is the format commonly used in Erasmus+ youth programmes, and applications that do not use the Europass CV format are generally not accepted. Include even small details in your CV. Save the CV as a PDF so it is ready to share. Our guide on how to prepare your Europass CV goes through every section, and how to write a motivation letter covers the letter when a call asks for one.
Has anyone asked you for money?
No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges, training courses, seminars and study visits, about one in ten calls asks participants for a participation fee; Youth Works Hub does not support this practice. In Erasmus+ youth projects that ask selected participants for a participation fee, the fee is usually deducted from the travel reimbursement, not paid in advance. A participation fee like this is usually a contribution the organisation asks for its own institutional capacity, not a cost of the programme. A request for money under any name, such as an application fee, placement fee, commission, booking fee or visa processing fee, is a warning sign of a fake or problematic call. Our guide on how to spot fake Erasmus+ offers lists every warning sign, and how we verify every opportunity explains what Youth Works Hub checks before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a motivation letter for an Erasmus+ youth project?
A motivation letter applies to both ESC and Erasmus+ youth projects, but in Erasmus+ youth projects it is rarely asked for; most Erasmus+ calls use an application form instead. Our guide on how to write a motivation letter covers the calls that do ask for one.
What happens if nobody replies to your application?
Selected applicants are always contacted, but rejected applicants are often not contacted at all, because some projects receive so many applications that coordinators do not reply to each one. After you apply to an Erasmus+ youth project, you may or may not receive an email confirming that your application arrived. Hundreds of young people may apply to the same project, so a rejection or no reply should not discourage you; people who keep applying do get into a project. Our guide on what to do when you applied and heard nothing covers the waiting, and the top reasons applications fail looks at the rest.
Is a participation fee normal?
A participation fee is never paid at application, only by selected participants, and in many cases it can be negotiated or even waived by the organisation. If an organisation asks you to pay at the application stage, report it to the National Agency or the European Commission and let us know, so we can report it too. Our guide on what National Agencies are explains who to write to.
How do you actually apply to an Erasmus+ youth project?
You can apply to a call in three usual ways: by email with a motivation letter and a Europass CV, with an application form, or, for the European Solidarity Corps, through your profile on the European Solidarity Corps Portal. To apply by email, send a motivation letter and a Europass CV to the address in the call; the motivation letter has no standard format. Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes it step by step.
Read the call, then write the application
Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you: it asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards, and saved projects stay on your profile page. Using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: tips for a strong Erasmus+ application · ESC application mistakes · how to prepare your Europass CV · how to choose the right project · the top reasons applications fail
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
